After 2 seasons on the snow, did the 2019 or 2020 Alphas end up with a better track record?

[turboless terry]

Frostbite
The kaos is an awesome sled. I have actually not rode a 155. A buddy has one and is going out this week but i have to work. My main riding buddy has a 163 kaos and it is awesome. It does not trench. In deep snow it crawls up on the snow quicker than mine. It is really precise in the trees. His 2.6 spins a bunch where the alpha hooks up but the alpha will trench a touch. The power is deceiving. Really smooth and more mid to top. Way better on fuel and oil. My alpha burns 2 gallons more every time. His has e start which pisses me off. Hate cats e start seat and you couldn't get it in a hard core 154. The regular 154 you could. 21 with atac no estart. 154 2.6 estart but not 3 inch 154. Arctic cat sucks imo. No rhyme or reason for this.cat steers noticeably harder. Kaos rides better. Alpha is more fun and my buddy even admits it but he like the predictability of the kaos for the trees. The new 165 kaos with new track and new quick drive will work even better. I'm getting my wife one. $15,065 with estart, everything painted and 250 in store credit and 4 year warranty. I'm keeping my alpha for another year. Not trying to talk you into anything. Just saying his 163 kaos is awesome and will go anywhere.

 

[Frostbite]

Great stuff, keep it coming.
How about Mountain Cat vs hardcore? I read something about front track shock spring pressures being wrong on the Hardcores.
The 2020 I like is a Hardcore 165 with electric start. The 2019 is a 165 with manual start.
The 2019 is new with warranty and the 2020 is used with none. Thoughts?

 

[jeeper8650]

Thanks Jeeper8650, that's great info. Have you ever regretted buying a 154" instead of a 165"?

Not at all. I love the sled. Both of my buddies ended up buying 154 alphas in 2020 after watching me do circles around them all season. Maybe on the deepest of days in steep terrain I wish I had a 165” but for the majority of riding it’s hard to beat the fun factor of the 154. If you lock out the rear shocks the front end stays down but but then on the softer setting and it’s a wheelie monster which is a blast on those meadow bashing pow days.

no regrets.

 

[sno*jet]

the comments on the khaos in here are from the 20 155 model likely. 21s will be a different animal with the new track.

 

[Motorbreath_]

Its amazing how opinions and rider experiences vary so much.. Its almost impossible to come to a conclusion based on other person's opinions.. You just need to make the call yourself, or test ride.

That being said, here is my 2 cents.. I haven't driven an Alpha, I'm dying to try it. I have owned and driven many twin rail cats though. We almost never have set up snow.. Always dry power or deep soft rotten snow at the end of the year.. So i think the alpha would be great here.

However my next sled will be a 2022 and I will be buying the lightest sled available. There are just so many advantages to being the lightest. I have a Doo now, and I'm thinking of spending some money on exhaust, lightweight hood, belt drive, and a new lighter track... however I will spend thousands and still not be as light as a stock 850 Khaos.

I know the sled will come with more maintenance, but I'm fine with that. Also I didn't find the old 2016 axys hard to initiate a side hill at all, now with the new front end (36 inch stance vs 38) it should be even easier.. not to mention the Khaos is supposed to be super playful.

I never found my old axys easy to get stuck either... actually it was quite the opposite. Mine had the older 2.4 lug track.. can't say for sure how the 2.6 would react. but I was always just a pin and wiggle away from getting out of a tricky spot. The new 3.5 pitch tracks from Polaris should be amazing. I'm really looking forward to trying that out as well.

I will really miss the clean firing etec engine, and the shot start.. but you can't have it all.. and you need to pick your battles some times.

I had a 17 Summit 165 for a year and a half. I doubt I'll ever have another 16x length again.. I just didn't like the feel of it. Took a lot of the fun out of it for me. But it depends what you are into. Sidehilling I found the extra length made very little difference, at least not as big of a difference that throttle control makes..

With all that said, best of luck with whatever you purchase.

I'm hoping for amazing things from both Cat and Polaris in 2022!

 

[DITCHBANGER]

Its amazing how opinions and rider experiences vary so much.. Its almost impossible to come to a conclusion based on other person's opinions.. You just need to make the call yourself, or test ride.

That being said, here is my 2 cents.. I haven't driven an Alpha, I'm dying to try it. I have owned and driven many twin rail cats though. We almost never have set up snow.. Always dry power or deep soft rotten snow at the end of the year.. So i think the alpha would be great here.

However my next sled will be a 2022 and I will be buying the lightest sled available. There are just so many advantages to being the lightest. I have a Doo now, and I'm thinking of spending some money on exhaust, lightweight hood, belt drive, and a new lighter track... however I will spend thousands and still not be as light as a stock 850 Khaos.

I know the sled will come with more maintenance, but I'm fine with that. Also I didn't find the old 2016 axys hard to initiate a side hill at all, now with the new front end (36 inch stance vs 38) it should be even easier.. not to mention the Khaos is supposed to be super playful.

I never found my old axys easy to get stuck either... actually it was quite the opposite. Mine had the older 2.4 lug track.. can't say for sure how the 2.6 would react. but I was always just a pin and wiggle away from getting out of a tricky spot. The new 3.5 pitch tracks from Polaris should be amazing. I'm really looking forward to trying that out as well.

I will really miss the clean firing etec engine, and the shot start.. but you can't have it all.. and you need to pick your battles some times.

I had a 17 Summit 165 for a year and a half. I doubt I'll ever have another 16x length again.. I just didn't like the feel of it. Took a lot of the fun out of it for me. But it depends what you are into. Sidehilling I found the extra length made very little difference, at least not as big of a difference that throttle control makes..

With all that said, best of luck with whatever you purchase.

I'm hoping for amazing things from both Cat and Polaris in 2022!

I could have posted this word for word as its my feeling exactly. Lots of opinions, with a ti can and seat the Khaos is 493lbs ready to ride and does not need electric start making for a light playful sled. With the new track it saves another 5 lbs. The doo and cat are really nice sleds but are behind when it comes to weight.

 

[MTSledder94]

Just buy one

 

[Tele]

I have a 19 Alpha 154 , after you ride one and figure out your shock settings they are an amazing sled ! With that said you have to take the time and adjust the pressure to get them dialed otherwise they are wheelie monsters ! I have 1500 miles on mine and 0 issues so far , I will probably install a new belt on it before next season just because. I don’t think you can go wrong with a hold over 19 or 20.

 

[Frostbite]

We have to keep this going just to keep Mtsledder94 entertained.
There is a local used 2020 850 Khaos 155 with 700 miles and a three year warranty for about $1,500 more than the new 2019 Alpha One 165 non electric start.
I like the fact that the Khaos is lightweight, I like the fact that it has a belt drive from the factory, I love the graphics and I like that the warranty is longer than one year.
Now if it only had a 3.5" pitch track....

 

[summ8rmk]

We have to keep this going just to keep Mtsledder94 entertained.
There is a local used 2020 850 Khaos 155 with 700 miles and a three year warranty for about $1,500 more than the new 2019 Alpha One 165 non electric start.
I like the fact that the Khaos is lightweight, I like the fact that it has a belt drive from the factory, I love the graphics and I like that the warranty is longer than one year.
Now if it only had a 3.5" pitch track....

U can swap tracks easily...


Sent it

 

[Frostbite]

Summ8rmk, good point!
However, that would take changing the drivers to match the track pitch and depending on the size of the drivers in relation to stock drivers, a gearing change may be required as well.
I am not convinced yet on trading in my green underwear for red just yet but, all the new sleds have their strong points.
As long as we are drifting off the Arctic Cat reservation, I bet a Skidoo Summit Freeride would be a kick in the pants as well but, I digress.

 

[summ8rmk]

My sole reason for looking at Polaris, is the sidehilling in all snow conditions...
It is consistent. I put ski-doo last in this category.
Alpha is really fun and amazing traction, i still believe it is best in the biz in that department... but i really like sidehilling and that is where the Alpha has its issues, so very inconsistent with varying snow types.

Sent it

 

[Frostbite]

Good points Summ8rmk, who knows what I'll do. I have a few more days to decide.
Does anyone else have any related comments?

 

[richardderkevorkian]

My sole reason for looking at Polaris, is the sidehilling in all snow conditions...
It is consistent. I put ski-doo last in this category.
Alpha is really fun and amazing traction, i still believe it is best in the biz in that department... but i really like sidehilling and that is where the Alpha has its issues, so very inconsistent with varying snow types.

Sent it

Practice more, I can side hill an alpha better in every snow condition than I can a twin rail. Powder turns, elevators, hopovers are all easier on an alpha. The only place an alpha is truly unpredictable is in alder patches. If you hit an alder that's layed over from snow it's like a skateboard on a rail and you never know which direction it'll slide

 

[summ8rmk]

Practice more, I can side hill an alpha better in every snow condition than I can a twin rail. Powder turns, elevators, hopovers are all easier on an alpha. The only place an alpha is truly unpredictable is in alder patches. If you hit an alder that's layed over from snow it's like a skateboard on a rail and you never know which direction it'll slide

Ur idea of sidehilling is obviously different than mine. I have 28yrs of experience not a noob. Go park ur Alpha on a 40° slope of hard compact snow. Now take off without the back dropping down.

Sent it

 

[CO 2.0]

My mountain cat will definitely sidehill steeper slopes than my alpha. It will also elevator WAY easier. Its pretty hard to elevator the alpha. As the track just tries to catch and stay in the snow instead of slipping out like a dual rail.

 

[richardderkevorkian]

My mountain cat will definitely sidehill steeper slopes than my alpha. It will also elevator WAY easier. Its pretty hard to elevator the alpha. As the track just tries to catch and stay in the snow instead of slipping out like a dual rail.

I dont seem to have any problem with elevators on the alpha. Just takes more throttle control

 

[turboless terry]

Close but didn't make it. Pretty well thought this was the outcome but nobody likes a coward

 

[Vern]

Biggest thing I've noticed with the alpha sidehilling on hard snow is you have to be very conservative with the throttle. If you giver to much it'll definitely wash out and slide the ass end down. I don't do much for elevatoring but could see the issues there. Parking on a hillside to help a buddy get unstuck I've got to pretty much lay the sled on its side panel to get it to not try and roll down the hill. Unlike two railers where you can just set a nice edge with the track and they'll stay. slow tree covered sidehills on hard snow is the only thing that's really kicked my but on my alpha. The sled really likes to try and follow the hill down in the hard snow.

 

[bnorth]

Back to the original question, the track record. I would say from what I am seeing and hearing that more 19's are losing motors which could be due to the fact they've been around longer and have more miles. Conversely the 20's seem to have way more track issues.